Theme of Freedom in 1984 Essay Sample

Throughout George Orwell’s novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, the literary concept of theme is critical so that the reader may understand that humans long for freedom from restrictive authority, no matter the consequences. Firstly, the protagonist of the novel, Winston states that in his society, living and dying are the same because of the controlling party. While talking to Julia, Winston states, “‘So long as humans stay humans, life and death are the same thing’” (Orwell 142). The reader understands that Winston considers living and dying to be the same after experiencing the oppression of the party for most of his life. Winston would rather die because at least then, he would be able to be free from the constricting shackles, which do not allow personal opinion or thought, that the party has binded him to. He is under the impression that he can commit crimes because even if he were to be executed for them, he would be freed from the hell that is the world. Furthermore, when Winston and Julia are conversing, it is revealed that many of the party members commit the crime of adultery, despite the fact that the party strictly prohibits it. After Julia reveals this to Winston, “His heart leapt. Scores of times she had done it; he wished it had been hundreds of thousands of times” (Orwell 131). The reader comprehends the reason that Julia has committed this crime many times. When he “wished” that she had done it multiple times, it reveals to him that other people in the party also commit crime and rebel against the rules, although they should be the ones enforcing it. This means that other people in the society long for freedom against the control of the party as much as Winston does, as they are willing to break rules to have glimpses of freedom in their lives. Moreover, when Julia is explaining her life to Winston, she reveals to him that she also has reasons for hating the party. While discussing their reasoning, she states, “‘You wanted a good time; ‘they’ meaning the party wanted to stop you having it; you broke the rules as best you could’” (Orwell 137).  The reader comprehends that Julia also wants to experience freedom as, unlike Winston, she has lived under the oppression of the party throughout the entirety of her life. She states that you should try to break the rules “as best you could” so that you may be able to experience the freedom and thrill of your life, even if it might only be a little bit of it. She also says that “you wanted a good time”, but the party does not want them to, causing a conflict between two ideas. If someone does not work for the party, although it is still illegal, they will probably be able to get away with the crimes they commit. If they work for the party, they will still commit “crimes” to enjoy their lives, even if it may mean death, because, as stated above, in some cases, death is much more liberating than living in an accursed world. The reader understands that throughout the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the literary device of theme is used to illustrate that humans long for freedom from controlling authority no matter the consequences as shown in the excerpts above.